So, can piano cause hearing loss? While not typical, playing the piano can in fact cause hearing loss. The hearing damage a pianist might suffer from revolves around many factors.
Generally, piano players are quiet, intelligent, inquisitive and analytical. It also helps if they have larger hands, longer fingers and great dexterity.
All musicians should own a pair of customized earplugs to protect their hearing against loud noise. This recommendation applies even to adults who have a passion for piano music and study the piano but currently experience no hearing difficulties.
Physical changes in the brain
Learning to play an instrument increases motor control, listening, memory (especially of audio information). The benefits extend beyond the activity of playing the piano into your everyday lives. They impact ability to plan, coordination, language skills, attention span and alertness.
Professional musicians are nearly four times as likely to develop noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) as the general public. They are also more likely to experience tinnitus, or ringing in the ears.
The sound systems at concerts and nightclubs can reach up to 140 dB, making the job of a musician particularly dangerous for hearing. Over the years, many of the world's most famous and beloved musicians have experienced some form or hearing loss or impairment, ranging from consistent tinnitus to complete deafness.
Listening to loud noise for a long time can overwork hair cells in the ear, which can cause these cells to die. The hearing loss progresses as long as the exposure continues. Harmful effects might continue even after noise exposure has stopped. Damage to the inner ear or auditory neural system is generally permanent.
Picking up a musical instrument gives you a higher IQ, according to a new study of more than 4,600 volunteers. New research has claimed that learning to play a musical instrument increases intelligence by 10 percent.
✔ Unlike many other instruments, the piano is bulky and cannot be easily transported. Piano is a bulky instrument. It is not easy to carry and it takes up a lot of space. If you want to learn to play the piano, you need to have a lot of patience and be willing to put in the time and effort required.
Studies show that practicing more than four hours a day is just way too much. Additional time doesn't make any difference in your progress, even with deliberate practice.
Avoid placing a piano in front of a window
Direct sunlight and exposure to temperature fluctuations or wind can damage your piano's finish, dry out the soundboard, and cause it to go out of tune more quickly.
Artists like Billy Joel and Elton John may make it look effortless, but singing and playing the piano at the same time takes time and practice to truly master! Understandably, it's difficult because you're multitasking by “playing” two instruments simultaneously – your voice and the piano.
Studies show that music stimulates the brain in a way no other activity does. While playing a piece on the piano, you are adding new neural connections, which primes your brain for other forms of communication.
But did you know it's considered to be sexy too? A Vanity Fair/60 Minutes survey ranking the sexiest instruments to play has the piano at number three—just behind the guitar and the saxophone. They found that the top instrument was the guitar at 26 percent, followed closely by the saxophone at 25 percent.
Why do pianists have veiny hands? Pianists, especially professionals, practice many hours a day. And when you play the piano for a long time, more blood flows to your hands.
The added social and schoolwork pressures often push piano lessons out. Students also compare themselves more heavily to others who may play piano and feel embarrassed or not good enough. This is a shame because this is the point when they're usually capable of the most.
A few telltale signs that you might be playing too much, or that your body needs time to recover before diving into an hour long practice are: Sore, cracked hands, if your fingertips are too sore or painful to play effectively, if your fingers feel achy or sore a day or two after your last practice.
Some people start to wonder if pianists can type faster. Amazingly, studies show that pianists type more quickly and accurately than non-pianists. According to a recent research from the Max Planck Institute of Informatics, piano players can 'play words' as fast as expert typists can type them.
Real pianists are marked by brains that efficiently conserve energy by allocating resources more effectively than anyone else. Dr. Timo Krings scanned pianists' brains as they soloed and found that they pump less blood than average people in the brain region associated with fine motor skills.
How can Piano Lessons Help? Individuals with ADHD are hyperactive, so playing the piano or making music together in either an unstructured or a structured manner with a trained music therapist can provide these individuals with obligatory time to release their creative energy in a very positive way.
It provides a total brain workout. Research has shown that listening to music can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory.
TOO LONG? TOO LOUD? Frequent exposure to sound over 70 decibels (dB) can cause hearing problems and hearing loss over time. The louder the sound, the quicker it can cause damage.
To better protect their hearing, many musicians wear earplugs that are specially designed for people who play music. Musicians' earplugs let a person hear all of the music, but at a lower sound level.